Architecture Firm DLR Group Faces Internal Criticism Over ICE Facility Design Work

American architecture studio DLR Group has encountered employee opposition after its involvement in converting an Oklahoma prison into a detention center for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was revealed. According to reports from Mother Jones in February 2026, DLR Group served as a subcontractor for CoreCivic to redesign the Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Oklahoma. Former communications employee Andrew Osborne discovered the firm's continued work with CoreCivic, which leases facilities to ICE, despite internal claims to the contrary. Following staff protests, DLR Group announced it will no longer accept projects related to ICE detention or deportation facilities and will donate $300,000 in profits from the Oklahoma project. The firm, which has a justice design division, stated it remains committed to reforming justice system architecture while acknowledging systemic inequities.